A Dirty Dozen with LYDIA CAN’T BREATHE – May 2021

According to a recent press release: “Hard rock metal quartet LYDIA CAN’T BREATHE released their brand new single titled “SHEEP” to all digital outlets today! The single is a fresh take on the band’s trademark sound with melodic guitars and dark tendencies. It showcases their ear candy intros, face melting guitar riffs, while still clinging to their heavy transitions and breakdowns. “Sheep is an energetic guitar driven heavy piece with catchy clean vocal choruses. The verses are harder spoken parts with a heavy breakdown. The contrasting parts show the different styles and variation of the band’s sound. The song follows the theme of thinking on your own and being yourself regardless of how society tries to shape you” says the band.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Most songs have that hidden nugget, like all art, but as for our newly released material “Ups and Downs” is about Kyle, our lead singer, becoming a parent. Both the music and lyrics were written by him, and it represents a whole new approach for the band in writing. The bulk of the music for “Sheep” was written by our bass player, Shad, and the subject matter was initially taken from his social media pages.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Kyle: I used to scream along to AC/DC with my dad in the car or with my mom while cleaning the house. Those moments kind of made me feel like this was my calling.

Shad: Me and my friends walked into a high school dance with our long hair and ripped up jeans, and immediately a group of girls came up to us and asked if we were a band. We all looked at each other and said yes, and I’ve pretty much been in bands ever since.

Josh: The first time I saw drums played live it blew my mind. I started playing in my high school band and never looked back.

Ryan: My best friend growing up played guitar, and he got me started playing, but my first concert made me want to be on stage.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Shad: I used to watch Alice in Chains and Nirvana DVDs as a kid. The music videos and live performances sold me on being a musician.

Josh: I have a lot of influences from different genres, but Joey Jordison from Slipknot inspired me the most when I was joined Lydia Can’t Breathe and started playing metal.

Ryan: I’ve always listened to so many different rock and metal bands, but for me, Avenged Sevenfold speaks to me from a writing perspective.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

System of a Down, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Chevelle and Atreyu are the band consensus because of our sound, but we would be off base if we didn’t at least mention The Beatles and Queen.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Eminem for his unfiltered lyrical genius, but if we could collaborate with anyone living or dead, then probably Prince. He was the man.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

We’d call it high energy multi genre rock with heavy twists. It’s basically party metal. Someone once said we remind them of Volbeat. We probably couldn’t sound less Danish if we tried. We definitely don’t hear the connection.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

The feeling you get when someone vibes your creation. We especially love the live experience because of that. When you share that connection that happens between the band and the audience, the energy becomes almost tangible.

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

If we get together to hang like that it’s usually for UFC fights at Kyle’s house or the Superbowl or something at Josh’s place. It’s a toss up between Josh and Shad on who goes the hardest on the boozing, but Kyle is probably more entertaining on the rare occasion that he goes hard. Ryan is definitely the dude who goes for the acoustic, hands down.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

It was Ron Jeremy at the Rainbow Room in LA. We were chilling there after a show, and he just randomly walked by, and we had to say something. He was mad cool, so we offered him one of our cheese sticks. Later on, true to Ron Jeremy form, we passed him while he was signing some chick’s tits outside the bathrooms. He’s still got it!

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Kyle: I played baseball when I was younger, but had to quit due to an injury. I’d say that going pro would have been my dream job.

Shad: It’s hard to say. I think I would have enjoyed careers in astrophysics or archeology.

Josh: I love surfing so being a pro surfer would be sweet.

Ryan: I’d like to live a self sustaining lifestyle off the grid.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Early on we got stuck in a rut of doing things a certain way and never tried rethinking our approach, releases and touring especially. We kind of did a “ready, fire, aim” thing because we were so amped to get on with it all. We learned it’s not enough to work hard. You have to work smart and learn to be flexible. There are so many failures, disappointments and struggles along the way in pretty much anything worth doing. Those who succeed only do so because they adapt when they fail and keep on going… We wish we would have learned that lesson sooner.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Kyle: Slipknot, self titled album. This was one of the most original and brutal albums that I had heard at that time. It was against everything you would think is marketable, but became an unforgettable and timeless masterpiece that changed heavy music forever!

Shad: Van Halen, 1984 – My older sister used to blast VH when she drove me around as a little kid. The album was almost ruined from overuse by the time I started playing guitar, but it made me appreciate virtuosity in music. I’ve also had some really cool life moments to those songs.

Josh: Greenday, Dookie – This was just a really iconic album that sounded awesome and you were considered uncool if you didn’t own it. Such a good album that brings me back to the late Jr high/early high school days. You know brain stew was the first guitar riff you learned!! Lol

Ryan: Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory – This album never left my CD player for the entirety of middle school. It was the album that broke me into listening to heavier music and opening my world to discovering all sorts of artists who have influenced the way I play.

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Category: Interviews